This morning I read another challenging passage in the Bible (I look for the challenging passages!) Jesus taught that when you have guests over for dinner or whatever, don't invite your friends, family members or "important people", lest they reciprocate. Instead, invite "the poor, the lame, the maimed, the blind," those who cannot give back - and you will be blessed and rewarded "at the resurrection of the just." (Luke 14)
Surely Jesus was addressing the type of thinking that measures the good one does based upon the "rate of return." How often do people invite to a wedding based upon having been invited themselves, or give a gift in return for having been given one? It may be a socially acceptable mode of operation, but it is not Christian, and it does not bring the rewards of Love.
In today's lingo, this requires a paradigm shift, a fundamental change in the way we operate. I know for myself, I will be watching for this, making sure my motive is not social obligation, but a desire to bless those that need it, with no thought of getting something back. Anything less is dishonest love, for it is not love at all.
This short passage in Science and Health seals the deal: